Quite aside from the obvious moral case, the new policy will impact the economic sustainability of the NHS and the health of the population for decades to come

As a doctor in the NHS, I’ve seen Jeremy Hunt’s Department of Health initiate a number of controversial reforms, including the widely unpopular junior doctors contract, mostly without proper consultation. However, none have had the destructive potential of the department’s latest intervention.

From today, it becomes mandatory for all patients seeking NHS care in England to undergo immigration checks, with those deemed ineligible to pay 150 per cent of the cost of care up front.The stated aim is to recover costs from so called ‘health tourists’ but there will be wide ranging and severely negative impacts on both the economic sustainability of the NHS and the health of the population in coming decades as a result.

The NHS is one of the most cost effective healthcare systems in the world. By being resident-based, it avoids the bureaucracy of insurance eligibility and by treating everyone, it maximises public health benefit. Both advantages of our pooled system are under threat from this policy.

Comments

Donald McKenzie

October 23, 2017 at 14:58

What self serving nonsense. The NHS is an extremely wasteful organization which is already rationing care to Britons despite the commitment of enormous resources from the Exchequer. People who are illegally present in the UK deserve no support whatsoever and in fact are committing a criminal act when they fraudulently try to obtain medical care to which they are not entitled. They should be given nothing except a one way ticket to their own country.
A friend recently was given free medical care while on holiday in the UK because the hospital could not be bothered to process her medical insurance. This cavalier attitude toward the resources of the taxpayer is also displayed by Pillay. If his or her compensation was dependent on payments from patients directly I doubt if they would be so focused on coddling these criminals posing as patients.

Japanne

October 23, 2017 at 21:12

If the so-called "overseas visitors not entitled to care cost the NHS at most £300 million per year, less than 0.3 per cent of its budget" because the cost is most likely higher and £300m is still an impact that could be alleviated if those overseas visitors or to be precise 'healthcare tourist' do not come and abuse the NHS since the NHS is not an international free for all service. Then answer this exactly how much are illegal visitors costing the NHS and causing backlogs. And why should our taxes fund this giveaway service wouldn't it be easier to privatise the NHS

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